For Sigourney Weaver, being nominated for a best actress Academy Award for her groundbreaking turn in 1986’s “Aliens” had immediate and tangible effects.

Weaver said she got the news while preparing for her role as Dian Fossey in “Gorillas in the Mist” and had been meeting with producers who wanted her to work with domesticated chimps to research the role. Weaver had been arguing that the endeavor wouldn’t be helpful to her.

“After I got the nomination, suddenly, they listened to me very carefully,” she said during a recent appearance at the Hero Complex Film Festival.

A tribute to Weaver at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood capped off the fifth annual event on June 1. The actress took the stage for an in-depth Q&A between screenings of Ridley Scott’s landmark 1979 science fiction film “Alien” and James Cameron’s sequel “Aliens.” (Cameron was a guest of honor at the festival the previous day and took part in a Q&A of his own between screenings of “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”)

Weaver’s Oscar nomination for her reprisal of Ripley in the sequel was considered to be a landmark event for the science fiction genre, a category of storytelling that Weaver believes should get more respect.

“I’m proud to be the first and I know I won’t be the last.”

Watch the clip above to hear what else Weaver had to say about the importance of science-fiction and look for more videos from the festival soon.